Raspberry Poke Cake

Today is special.

I'm celebrating a year and a half anniversary with my Hubbalubb.  And it wouldn't be fair of me if I didn't include this factoid because in all actuality, it is him who sparked my interest in cooking in the first place.

You ever hear that old phrase about stealing a man's heart through his stomach?  Yeah, I did that.  Except, when I stole his heart, I had absolutely no idea how to cook.

I tricked him into believing that I was a decent cook and I can't believe he fell for it.  In fact, if the garage and the kitchen weren't so far away from each other, he probably would have witnessed the catastrophic damage I caused every time I tried a new recipe.

The funny thing is, now that I've pretended that I know how to cook, I actually want to learn.  That's the point of this internet journal, really.  For me, it's a scrapbook of progress.  I'm in love with the idea of learning and trying new things each and every day.  And now, I'm writing it down to share with you.

Anyway, back to my anniversary.  Now, I'm not a big girly girl when it comes to anniversaries.  Mostly because I'm not a girly girl about anything.  But since we've had to classify our relationship as "90% long-distance" while I'm away at school, I cherish every difficult month that we've managed to endure.

So, to thank him for dealing with my stubborn, pouty, cranky, stressed-to-the-max self for a whole eighteen months, I'm treating him to his all-time favorite dessert... Poke Cake.

If you couldn't tell from this, he is an incredibly easy-going and simplistic kind of guy.  He's not into fancy.  A boxed white cake, a packet of flavored Jell-O, and a tub of Cool Whip make him all sorts of giddy.  I, however, desperately want to ascend into the realm of ultimate foodie, so I'm getting creative with fresh fruit and cake from scratch.

Happy Anniversary to me!



Raspberry Poke Cake
(adapted from Cook's Country)

Cake:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg whites
1 3/4 cups sugar

Syrup and Spread:
4 cups frozen raspberries
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp raspberry-flavored gelatin

Sweetened Whipped Cream:
(from Taste of Home)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the cake, heat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 2 round 9" pans.  Combine flour, powder and salt in a bowl.  Whisk milk, vanilla and eggs in another bowl.  In yet another bowl, mix butter and sugar together in a mixer for three minutes.  Add dry and wet mixture alternately, in two batches each.  Beat after each addition for approximately thirty seconds.  Scrape into baking pans.  Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Let cool completely.

For the syrup, heat 3 cups of raspberries, 2 tbsp of sugar, juice and water in a saucepan on medium-low heat.  Cook covered about 10 minutes.  Strain into a bowl and set solids aside.  Whisk gelatin into liquid and let sit for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is room temperature.

Poke several holes in the cooled cake about 1" apart.  Use a wooden skewer and give each poke a quarter turn before removing.  Pour the syrup evenly over the cake.  Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours to set the gelatin.

For the whipped topping, beat the cream in a chilled bowl until it thickens.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Beat until soft peaks form.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.  Makes 2 cups.

For the fruit spread, pulse the strained raspberries, 2 tbsp sugar and remaining raspberries in a food processor to a jam-like consistency.

To assemble, set one cake layer on a plate.  Spread the raspberry spread over the cake.  Next, apply the second cake layer on top of the raspberry mixture.  Frost the cake with the sweetened whipped cream.  Garnish with fresh whole raspberries.



Listening:   Ray LaMontagne - Let It Be Me